


Valentine's Drabbles- Ray and Walter

by Jean_C_Pepper



Category: Thunderheart (1992)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-02-09
Updated: 2011-02-28
Packaged: 2017-10-15 13:28:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 1,116
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/161248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jean_C_Pepper/pseuds/Jean_C_Pepper
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This one is based on written accounts that I have read of Lakota Medicine Man Leonard Crow Dog and his hot sweats.</p>
        </blockquote>





	1. Romantic Dinner for Two

Ray and Walter had been working very hard working their way through Maggie's list of unsolved crimes. They hadn't had a break in weeks. Added to this it was payday which meant that there would be a lot of people partying and this meant it got hectic for Walter. In addition, Ray was not only assigned to Bear Creek, but also Rosewood Reservations as well. It would be a long weekend.  
That night, they were so exhausted when they came home that Ray microwaved two TV dinners-something he never did and that he deplored even having in the house.  
“What a romantic dinner for two,” Crow Horse commented.  
"Fuck you," said Ray.  
"Later," said Crow Horse.


	2. A Helping Hand

Ray was able to hide his elation from Dawes when the older man told him he was being transferred to South Dakota permanently, but it was hard. He immediately wrote Walter Crow Horse and told him that he was coming back and could he help him find some place to live. He wanted to live on Bear Creek if possible. Ray came out of headquarters a week later and headed to his favorite coffee shop across the street. He was sitting alone enjoying a cup of espresso when he felt a shadow fall over him He looked up to see Walter Crow Horse standing in front of him-live and in the flesh.  
“What are you doing in DC?” Ray asked.  
“I thought you could use a hand with packing and moving,” Walter replied.


	3. Ray's first Inipi

Ray had been settled in South Dakota for six weeks when Walter announced one Saturday that they were going over to Grandpa Reaches. Ray was fine with this because he was fond of the old man and they had been busy and he hadn't time to visit. Grandpa Reaches was teaching Ray things about his history-in small ways.  
So, they set out. Ray was armed with his gift of tobacco and some candy valentine's hearts that he got on sale when he was in Rapid City that week. He was crunching the candy in his cheek when they pulled up.  
Grandpa Reaches was waiting for them. When Ray handed him the cigarettes, he gestured at a crude wigwam constructed in his yard and spoke in Lakota.  
“Grandpa says it's time for you to participate in your first inipi ceremony. “  
“Inipi?”  
“Sweat Lodge,” Crow Horse grunted as he led him into Grandpa's and they started to remove their clothes. This was early March and Ray shivered in his thin towel.  
“Come on,” Walter was clad in a slightly larger towel and he led Ray outside and into the lodge.  
It was moderately warm inside and Ray sat there while Walter brought in heated stones according to Grandpa's direction. The stones made it warmer, but not unbearably hot. Walter and Grandpa settled themselves inside as well and Grandpa closed the flap.  
He poured water over the stones and at that moment Ray became convinced that he would die because it was hot. This wasn't like being in a sauna back home as Ray had thought, but instead it was a heated steam that left no room for breath, no room for thought no room for anything but heat. They were going to die in here. How could Walter and Grandpa sit there so calmly? They were going to die. It was hot and they would die. Only the thought of being teased unmercifully by Walter kept Ray from actually voicing this opinion. Ray was not sure how long they sat there in that heat, but then the flap opened and Walter brought in a few more stones. The heat made Ray stuporous and he didn't see how many. Grandpa added more water and again Ray was hit with heat.  
Ray had thought that it was hot before, but that was nothing compared to this. It was twenty, fifty times more hot. This time Ray didn't care if Walter teased him.  
“I'm going to die,” he moaned, too miserable to be ashamed of the way his voice cracked.  
“No your not, hoss,” Walters hand rubbed comforting circles on Ray's back but he was to hot to calm down. “Take some deep breaths, Ray.”  
Ray did as he was told and he began to concentrate on breathing in and out. He was not surprised when Grandpa began to sing, to chant. Ray continued to concentrate on breathing, on Grandpa's singing, on Walters hand on his shoulder. The heat didn't fade, but Ray's concern with it did. He could feel himself drifting, his ears full of Grandpa's singing....

When they came out and got dressed, Crow Horse patted him on the shoulder and told him he did well. Ray was surprised that Crow Horse didn't tease him but then Grandpa said something in Lakota. Grandpa's Lakota was of the old style and Ray couldn't always catch what he was saying but he got the gist.  
“You tore down the lodge during an Inipi?” Ray couldn't stop grinning at his friend and he reached for some more of the candy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is based on written accounts that I have read of Lakota Medicine Man Leonard Crow Dog and his hot sweats.


	4. Safe Sex

“Ray,what is this?” Walter Crow Horse came out of the bathroom holding a packet of multicolored condoms and puzzled expression. He and Ray had been together for 3 years. Ray had read about a disease that seemed to be affecting a lot of gay men. Then he insisted that he and Walter go to Rapid City to get tested at a doctor there. Walter had never slept with another man other than Ray and vice versa. But Ray insisted. Of course the tests were negative and as far as Walter was concerned, things went back to normal. Why would Ray have condoms in the bathroom.

“I got them for Joe,” Ray explained. Joe Brave Bear was a Witiki who lived on the reservation.   
"Joe's a little wild, “ Ray explained. “I've seen a couple of cowboys from Rapid City sneaking out of his place at odd hours and those guys are pretty free with some of the women in Rapid City. Once person gets something and they all get sick. Joe's embarrassed to buy them.”  
Walter couldn't see how someone could easily share his body with anyone who asked and be embarrassed about condoms, but he said nothing. He was much more disturbed that Ray knew so much about the sex lives of those on the Rez.  
“Joe comes and talks to me sometimes,” Ray commented as if reading Crow Horse's thoughts. “ He says he wants a relationship like ours.”  
“He's not going to find it fucking cowboys from Rapid City,” commented Crow Horse.   
“I know that and you know that, “ answered Ray. “ So let's keep him safe until he figures that out.


End file.
